


oh, my wicked heart

by nonbinaryxion



Category: Batman (Comics), Teen Titans (Animated Series)
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Jason Todd is Red X, Secret Relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-26
Updated: 2017-09-26
Packaged: 2019-01-05 13:34:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,034
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12190929
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nonbinaryxion/pseuds/nonbinaryxion
Summary: What Raven did know was this: she was the only one who wasn't surprised or baffled that Red X would conduct, of all things, areverseburglary.





	oh, my wicked heart

**Author's Note:**

> an oldie from 2015 (yikes) which i decided to edit and reupload here because why write anything new when you can recycle am i right ladies

The motive for the crime was unclear, even to Raven. Was it a distraction? A taunt? A message?

_Flirtation?_

What Raven did know was this: she was the only one who wasn't surprised or baffled that Red X would conduct, of all things, a  _reverse_  burglary.

Robin, Raven and Cyborg were drawn inside by the harried museum director (Mr Harris, his name was). His combover was askew and he wrung his hands with groaning knuckles as he filled the heroes in on the details: three nights ago, the museum had been broken into by an unidentified thief. Looped camera footage, no damning evidence, minimal signs of a break-in—only a vanishing set of antique white gold jewellery (total worth circa $4,500). The Titans weren't contacted at the time; the JCPD didn't shift  _every_  case onto their backs, and in spite of the mystery there didn't seem any real reason to call in a flock of caped kids in primary colours to cover their asses for them.

Last night was a different story.

The grinning face of Xs on the wall was. Well. Pretty damning.

"It's the strangest thing," Harris muttered, patting his hair back into place. His cheeks were flushed, hands twitching as he did. "One of the pieces is still  _missing_. The onyx and diamond bracelet. Everything else has been replaced—almost exactly!"

Robin's brow was furrowed, mouth pressed into a severe line—his usual expression when Red X came into the conversation. Some (Starfire) called it _determined_. The less generous (Beast Boy) likened it to a constipated Batman impression. "Is the bracelet important in some way?"

"No more than the other pieces."

Cyborg was busy scanning the crime scene for hidden clues, streaming the results directly to the Titans' supercomputer for analysis. This left Raven to frown at X's overblown calling card. Of course, he would leave something so arrogant. The clues left were so deliberate as to be virtually useless; Red X would only leave something he intended them to find, and what he intended them to find would be misdirection. Maybe the others assumed he'd leave some accidental clue in his hubris, but the empath knew better—about the egoistic mask and the boy underneath it, his guile.  _What are you playing at?_

"Hey, Raven."

She glanced back over her shoulder, catching Robin's approach, an evidence bag in hand. He brandished it at her. "Does this mean anything to you?"

Raven took the transparent bag, turning it over in her palm: a note, typed.

_Chinese takeout. I'm buying. Y/N?_

Three Xs, red ink. A small, blue doodle of a bird.

Raven's face stiffened, colour rising to her cheeks. Her lips parted slightly. Had he just—Azar, was  _that_  was this—?

"Raven?"

Blinking, Raven snapped her eyes up from the note to meet Robin's. His expression had intensified at Raven's unsuppressed response, eyes narrowing, just a little. Not accusatory, really, but certainly suspicious. Raven schooled her features again, aware that her cheeks were still pink. She could pass it off as indignation.

_Damn it, X. You don't make this easy._

"Apart from that he's an egotistical flirt?" she said coolly. "No. Nothing. Why should it?"

.

.

.

.

.

"Nice of you to show, Sunshine."

The thief was already tucking into his half of the order, illuminated dimly by the city lights, legs dangling over the edge of the building and skull mask hooked onto his belt. The only barrier between Raven and his expression was the wine-tinted domino mask, so the self-assured smirk was clear, as was the fact that he badly needed another haircut—his dark curls were falling over his forehead again, reaching for his eyes. Red X gestured to the rest of the takeaway (the same order as exactly three weeks ago, at this same time, on this exact rooftop) and then patted the spot beside him. "Take a seat."

Raven remained standing, arms laced together. "There are easier—and more  _legal_ —ways to ask me on a date."

"Why would I do it the way?" X set aside his egg rice and stood, rolling his shoulders and reaching into a pocket of his belt. He dangled the onyx and diamond bracelet in the air. Raven raised her eyebrows pointedly, holding her left hand out.

X closed the distance between them—closer than he had to be—and pressed the bracelet into her palm with one hand. The other found her jawline, thumb tracing her cheekbone. There was a tiny hitch in Raven's breath, that tiny crack in composure which often appeared in X's proximity; he leaned down to brush his lips against hers.

She pushed lightly against his chest. He pulled away with little force, eyebrows lifting.

"Next time you perform a romantic gesture," Raven said, as assertively as she could manage under the circumstances, "try something a bit more traditional and a little less unlawful. Flowers, for example."

"That's not as impressive."

" _Jason._ "

X rolled his eyes, the picture of melodrama. " _Fine_. I promise. Am I allowed to kiss you now?"

Raven appraised him for a moment, considering—then, in answer, cupped the back of his neck (fingers tangling into the curls at the base of his skull) and tugged him down. The kiss was forceful, more than he would have dared, but he wasn't about to complain. She coaxed his mouth open and his teeth kneaded her lower lip, hand shifting to the small of her back to press her closer, stomach to stomach; his eyes fluttered closed. He might have felt her smiling.

When the two broke apart, each a little breathless, Raven glanced down and brushed a lock of raven hair behind her ear, almost shyly. Her left hand still clutched the stolen bracelet. And something else. Her brow creased—opening her hand revealed the pendant necklace sitting next to it: a silver starling curled around a star sapphire, hung from a silver chain. Raven blushed lightly, but spared X a stern look.

He grinned. "I have a receipt for that one. Promise."

"You'd  _better_."

"Most people would say  _thank you_."

Her fingers curled protectively around the gift. Despite herself, her mouth twitched into a small smile. It lit her eyes.

"Thank you, Jason."


End file.
